As a young minister, I was asked by a funeral director to hold a graveside service for a homeless man, who had no family or friends. The funeral was to be held at a new cemetery back in the country, and this man would be the first to be buried there.

I was not familiar with the backwoods area, and I soon became lost and finally arrived an hour late. I saw the backhoe and the open grave, but the hearse was nowhere in sight. The digging crew was eating lunch. I apologized to the workers for my tardiness, and I stepped to the side of the open grave. There I saw the vault lid already in place. I assured the workers I would not hold them up for long, as I told them that this was the proper thing to do.

The workers gathered around the grave and stood silently, as I began to pour out my heart and soul. As I preached, the workers became excited and began to say “Amen.” Their fervor truly inspired me. So I preached and preached like I had never preached before, all the way from Genesis to Revelation.

I finally closed the lengthy service with a prayer, thanked the men, and walked to my car., As I was opening the door and taking off my coat, I heard one of the workers say to another, “I aint’t never seen nothin’ like that before, and I’ve been puttin’ in septic tanks for thirty years.”

There was once a married couple who didn’t love each other. The day they got married, the husband handed his wife a list of chores for her to follow. He insisted that she do all the tasks on her list every day. The wife worked hard to accomplish her assigned duties, but she was miserable as she performed them. Ironing his clothes, preparing his meals, cleaning house---every task was burdensome. Although she obeyed all his rules, she never enjoyed a loving relationship with her husband.

Then one day her husband died. After several years had passed, she fell in love with another man and got married. The new husband never required her to do anything, much less a list of jobs. Instead, he showered her with love and did everything he could to make her happy.

One day this wife was joyfully cleaning house when she discovered her first husband’s list of commands tucked away in a drawer. As she read the paper, it dawned on her that she was performing every task on the list, but now she was serving with joy instead of misery. Her love for her second husband inspired her to automatically do the same jobs that he first husband had required. She had served her first husband out of duty, but her second husband out of love.

God wants us to serve Him out of jubilation, not obligation. Legalism adds weights to our work, but love gives wings to our service.

I must express a conviction: “The church is neither a disinterested third party in the process of government, nor an active first party participant. The church should be a permeating and overshadowing presence in government.”We need to be reminded of the responsibility as American patriots, and the influence of the Higher Power. If not, we will learn the old adage, “the best things in life are appreciated most after they have been lost.” Romans 13:1, “For there is no power but of God: The powers that be are ordained of God.”When is it right for a Christian to disregard the ruler of the state or country? There are 3 areas that the Bible mentions. These are to be Biblical reasons and not the personal whims or fancies in disobeying a law or ruler.1. The Christian can disobey if the ruler or state commands him to do something that the Bible forbids (unholy, immoral). In Daniel 3, the Bible cites the 3 Hebrew youth, who refused to worship other gods.2. The Christian can disobey if the ruler or state interferes with his worship. From Daniel 6, Daniel was justified in disobeying the ruler and kept on praying.3. The Christian can disobey if the ruler or state dictates to him not to teach or preach the Gospel. Acts 4:18 tells of the apostles being commanded not to preach, but in Acts 5:42 it reads, “And daily in the temple, and every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.” The Christian has a divine mandate to preach and teach the good news.

“Put brakes on Loshon Hosa,” reads a bumper sticker designed by Michael Feld, a rabbi in Cleveland, Ohio. Those Hebrew words mean “negative speech” or gossip.

America’s favorite pastime is not football; it’s gossip, Feld claims. Requests for his bumper stickers have come from as far away as China, England and Brazil.

The Apostle Paul once made a trip to Jerusalem with Trophimus, a Gentile friend from Ephesus - Turkey. Some Jewish leaders saw the two together in town. Paul entered the Jewish temple, where Gentiles were not allowed.

A rumor soon started about Paul. The Bible says, “They supposed that Paul took Trophimus into the temple” (Acts 21:29). Because of that rumor, the Jews almost killed Paul. Then he was put in chains and soon was sent to Caesarea and kept in prison for two years. Then he was put on a ship, sent to Rome and was in jail for two more years - all because of a rumor. The people “supposed” Paul had done something wrong. They saw him with someone.

Two tubes of Super Glue cost about $1.59. Sometimes, if I had bought a couple of tubes and put that stuff on my lips and tongue, I never would have said a few words that I had to eat a little later.

The Bible speaks to us at this point. Proverbs 26:20 states, “Without wood a fire goes out; without gossip a quarrel dies down.”-Copied-